Guest Post: 26 years ago, Howard chose fossil fuels over the Pacific. What will Albanese choose? Wesley Morgan explains

One issue, two prime ministers on the same island, 26 years apart. Shutterstock

Wesley Morgan, Griffith University

Hot on the heels of trips to Washington and Beijing, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is now in the Cook Islands for the Pacific Island Forum. There, he will aim to strengthen relations with Pacific countries and reaffirm Australia’s place as a security partner of choice.

But to do that, he’ll have to repair a historic split from when former prime minister John Howard met with Pacific leaders on the same island, Aitutaki, a quarter of a century ago to defend his choice to expand Australia’s fossil fuel industries.

Pacific leaders see climate change as by far their greatest security threat. Sea level rise, stronger cyclones, marine heatwaves and ocean acidification pose existential threats. They will ask Albanese to support a regional declaration for a phaseout of fossil fuels.

What will happen on the atoll? We could see history repeat – Pacific outrage, Australian intransigence. Or we could see a better outcome, if Albanese signals Australia is at last ready to move away from fossil fuels.

2002 Cabinet Documents: Climate change impacts acknowledged by Foreign Minister Downer and Environment Minister Kemp as Australia refuses to sign Kyoto Protocol

Howard Cabinet in 2002

Cabinet documents released by the National Archives from 2002 shine a light on the conservative Liberal-National Party Coalition Government of Prime Minister John Howard in refusing to sign on to the UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol, and also the decision not to proceed with a High Speed East Coast Train network linking Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane.

The Cabinet documents highlight that Cabinet Ministers Alexander Downer (Foreign Minister) and David Kemp (Environment and Heritage Minister) acknowledged that climate impacts would be felt by Australians, no matter what measures were taken. Rather than planning for the future as suggested by a Treasury Department submission, little action was taken regarding expansion of the fossil fuel sector, or long term inter-capital transport planning.

Australian Election: Bush Ally Howard Defeated in Labor Landslide, Kevin Rudd new Prime Minister

The Australian Labor Party (ALP) were elected in a landslide win in the Australian Federal election on Saturday, November 24. The 'bastards' of the Liberal and National party coalition Government have been voted out. And the Prime Minister, John Howard, once called by a Liberal Party colleague 'the lying rodent', is likely to lose his own seat in the swing against the conservatives, only the second Prime Minister to do so in Australia's short political history since federation in 1901.

The Australian Labor Party is now in government in all states and territories and federally. The highest ranking elected Liberal Party politician in power is the Lord Mayor of Brisbane.